Everything that happened today, should have happened. Because it did.

How to prepare an Emergency Kit for your home and car

Winter storms are rare here in the Metro Atlanta area, but when they do hit, how do we deal with them? Yesterday the snow started around 10:30 in areas across Atlanta. The weather was in the 60’s just a few days before. Monday night I received an alert from the national weather indicating a major winter storm watch for our area, beginning Wednesday morning, after tracking the radar most of the night, you could see the storm was coming in early and going to hit hard. Thankfully, most of Fayette County took heed and closed businesses and schools, unlike other areas, such as Atlanta.

Now the mayor of Atlanta is saying the best hope we can get is warm weather, but today will not get much about freezing. The strong winter storm is a rarity for one of U.S.’s most congested cities.

How do we better prepare ourselves and family for these kind of events. What we need to remember is a storm or disaster or even an accident can happen anytime, anywhere.

One basic essential should always be an emergency supply kit for the home and car. And, if you can a one day bug out bag. Something, I made for all of my children.

What goes in an emergency supply kit? I will start with what you should keep in your vehicle. This is so critical. I can’t stress enough how these two simple kits can save your life.

THE VEHICLE

This kit should include:

Jumper cables

Flashlights and extra batteries

First aid kit and necessary medications in case you are away from home for a prolonged time

Food items containing protein such as nuts and energy bars; canned fruit and a portable can opener

Be prepared for an emergency by keeping your gas tank full and if you find yourself stranded, be safe and stay in your car, put on your flashers, call for help and wait until it arrives.

You may say, we don’t have storms that often. Ask yourself is $50-$100 in a kit that stays in my car and last season after season, worth it? Remember these kits are also for any emergency, like disasters, storms, accidents, etc. Don’t be a victim. Be prepared.

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation

Cash or traveler’s checks and change ( remember in major storms or disasters, banks, ATM’s will not be available and could be down for days to weeks)

Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container.

Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or free information from this web site. They make these in apps or you can pick up for only a few dollars on Amazon

Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate. (Always keep blankets in your car in the winter)

Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.

Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted, nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.

Fire extinguisher

Matches in a waterproof container

Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items

Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils

Paper and pencil

Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

In any emergency a family member or you yourself may suffer an injury. If you have these basic first aid supplies you are better prepared to help your loved ones when they are hurt.

Now for your First Aid Kit (First Aid Kits such as this can easily be may for under $20. Most of these things you will already have.

Knowing how to treat minor injuries can make a difference in an emergency. You may consider taking a first aid class, but simply having the following things can help you stop bleeding, prevent infection and assist in decontamination.

Two pairs of Latex or other sterile gloves if you are allergic to Latex

Sterile dressings to stop bleeding

Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towelettes

Antibiotic ointment

Burn ointment

Adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes

Eye wash solution to flush the eyes or as general decontaminant

Thermometer

Prescription medications you take every day such as insulin, heart medicine and asthma inhalers. You should periodically rotate medicines to account for expiration dates.

Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring equipment and supplies

Non-prescription drugs:

Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever

Anti-diarrhea medication

Antacid

Laxative

Other first aid supplies:

Scissors

Tweezers

Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant

These are simple life saving kits. Another thing everyone should make is an emergency plan, that includes numbers of loved ones, in state and out of state. Locations to meet in case of disaster, such as a local place to meet close to your house, one in the county and one that is about 3-6 hours away. Remember, in some disasters, the local phone system may not be operational. So having a contact out of state, that all the family knows is a good idea.

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4 thoughts on “How to prepare an Emergency Kit for your home and car”

I hope this event will open everyones eyes. We were in route from Gadsden AL to Western NC yesterday morning. Just past the GA line the weather took a turn for the worse. We made a “survival” decision and turned around and headed home. With in a few miles of our house we started seeing accidents and abandoned cars. Fortunately we made it home. We couldn’t make it up our 1/2 mile drive, but we were home. We turned on the news as soon as we walked in and saw the havoc already caused by the storm. My husband nor I EVER leave home without our bag that contains at least three days worth of water, food, warmth, and shelter. I felt really bad for those folks stranded out there with nothing. Hopefully that never happens to them again!